Was skeptical about using cherry wood for brisket but tried it last weekend

I always figured fruit woods were only for pork or chicken. My buddy from Lockhart, Texas kept insisting cherry gives a milder smoke that doesn't overpower beef. I threw a 12 pound brisket on with straight cherry chunks and the color came out dark red and the taste was subtle but definitely there. Has anyone else switched up their wood choice and been surprised?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke_nguyen651d ago

My dad used cherry once on a pork shoulder and the rub had so much sugar it turned the bark almost black. Still tasted great though.

samw471d ago

Oh man, is a dark bark really that big of a deal? I've had plenty of shoulders where the bark got real dark and it still shredded like butter with great flavor. People get way too worked up about the color as long as the taste and texture are there. Your dad probably just had a little too much sugar in the mix, but it still turned out good so who cares right?